Many Clouds promises Red Rum heroics in Grand National at Aintree | Sport | The Guardian The Observer Many Clouds promises Red Rum heroics in Grand National at Aintree Trainer Oliver Sherwood believes the favourite and last year’s victor has the form to become the first dual winner in the Grand National since Red Rum Many Clouds jumps The Chair on the way to winning the Grand National in 2015, Oliver Sherwood’s horse is favourite to do so again this year. Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian Saturday 2 April 2016 18.00 EDT Last modified on Sunday 10 April 2016 09.58 EDT Share on Messenger Close William Hill issued a profit warning the week after the Cheltenham Festival, where a string of winning favourites left punters about £80m ahead on the week. And they may need to issue another after next Saturday’s Grand National, when Many Clouds, the 8-1 favourite, will have an outstanding chance to become the first horse to win the race for a second time since Red Rum in 1974.

The National has been transformed since Ginger McCain’s exceptional chaser finished first, first, second, second and then first again in five renewals between 1973 and 1977. The fences are softer and the distance has been cut by nearly a quarter of a mile, but above all, the quality of the horses taking part, and thus the competitiveness of the race, has improved substantially. Few, if any, horses race from out of the handicap and all but a handful of the 40 runners will go to post as plausible winners. Many Clouds wins the Grand National for Leighton Aspell Read more As a result, it is no great surprise the list of multiple winners of the race has been stuck on seven for more than four decades. The 42-year gap since a dual winner is already the longest in National history and it is now more difficult for a horse to win the race once, never mind twice. Yet Many Clouds is an excellent bet to buck the trends, because unlike most horses that return to Aintree after winning a National, he needs to find very little improvement on a performance 12 months ago that owed very little to chance.

Like Red Rum in 1974, Many Clouds will set off under top weight. Like Red Rum, he is also a nine-year-old, who won his first National at the right age to arrive back at Aintree at the peak of his powers, and potentially improved. Unlike Red Rum, who carried 10st 5lb to victory in 1973, Oliver Sherwood’s runner has only 1lb more on his back than he did 12 months ago. Many Clouds will run off a rating of 166, up six from last year when he was one and a quarter lengths ahead of Saint Are at the line, but if anything, he has looked like an improved performer this season during a four-race campaign designed solely to get him back to Aintree in peak form. “Just to be mentioned in the same breath as Red Rum is extraordinary,” Sherwood says. “But the one thing with him is that he’s been there and done it. He’s got round and he’s got copious amounts of stamina. “I would think the race is almost certainly harder to win nowadays. Red Rum was a brilliant horse but it was much more of a lottery in those years than it is now.

If you look at the quality of the race nowadays, compared to 30 years ago, there’s much more quality in it now and it isn’t so trappy. That’s got to be a positive. “The National is the National because of a) the fences and b) the numbers in the race. There’s 40 runners , and you’ve only got to have one fall in front of you and your race is over, but it’s less of a lottery now.” Many Clouds has yet to renew acquaintance with the National course’s unique obstacles and some horses simply do not warm to the experience second time around. Sherwood’s runner has been back to this course, however, finishing a four-length second to Don Poli in a Listed event over Aintree’s standard Mildmay course in December when he was giving the winner 5lb. That form was franked when Don Poli finished third behind Don Cossack in the Cheltenham Gold Cup . “I’m worried about 39 others in the race but we’ve been there and done it, which is a huge positive with him,” Sherwood says. “Others have got to prove it. Many Clouds ticks all the boxes.

“If he has a clear run and gets into the rhythm that he did last year then yes, he’s going to be bang there, God willing. You can’t answer that question [about returning to the National fences] until he goes there and jumps a few but I’d be very surprised and disappointed if he didn’t. “The whole season has been built up towards this. I was very pleased with his last run [at Kelso]. I’d say it was the first time he was 100% fit this season and his whole demeanour was good, his enthusiasm was first class and his jumping was exemplary.” Random disaster can strike at any moment at Aintree and there are also plenty of young, improving horses in the field with less weight on their backs. But if Many Clouds can avoid the fallers and jump with his usual, flawless accuracy, he should be there with every chance at the final fence and has the class and stamina to get the job done from there. He is a decent bet to do so even as the only horse in the field currently at single-figure odds.

It is also worth bearing in mind many bookmakers are likely to push him out to 10-1 or bigger at some stage on Saturday morning, if only for 15 minutes, to get punters into their shops or on to their websites. The biggest danger to Many Clouds could be The Last Samuri , who was switched from Donald McCain, Ginger’s son, to join Kim Bailey, who won the race 26 years ago with Mr Frisk, at the start of the season. He has improved steadily in three runs since, and warmed up for Aintree with a 10-length defeat of The Druids Nephew, who was going like a possible winner in last year’s National before an unfortunate departure five out. Gallant Oscar, who has enjoyed the most careful of preparations at the shrewd Tony Martin stable, will also be in the running if he takes to the fences, while Morning Assembly, who was placed at Grade One level as a novice only five runs ago, is a 33-1 chance who deserves serious consideration.

Greg Wood’s Grand National selections 1 Many Clouds Celebrate Red Rum Day: 12 fascinating facts about this legendary steeplechaser - Horse & Hound Horse & Hound TAGS: Grand National Red Rum Today (13 October 2016) has been declared Red Rum Day at Carlisle racecourse, as it celebrates the 40th anniversary of the legendary steeplechaser’s final victory in Cumbria in 1976. And to celebrate, racegoers are being invited to ‘Wear Red For Rummy’, with free entry being offered to anyone born in 1976 and a free red fizz cocktail for anyone who wears red on the day. Follow the action at #RedRumDay 12 things you need to know about Red Rum 1. “Rummy’s” association with Liverpool began long before his reign as National hero, when, as a two-year-old, he made his debut at Aintree, dead-heating on the flat in a five-furlong selling plate. 2.

The 400gns yearling, bred to be a sprinter by Martyn McEnery in Co Kilkenny, was bought and broken in by Champion Hurdle-winning jockey Tim Molony and later switched to the ownership of Lurline Brotherton, whose ambition was to own the winner of the Grand National. 3. Deterred by Red Rum’s escalating vet bills due to the bone disease pedalostitis and mixed fortunes in his races until then, Mrs Brotherton entered him for Doncaster’s August Sale of 1972, just eight months before the gelding would realise this dream for his new owner. 4. Snapped up for 6,000gns on behalf of Noel le Mare, the seven-year-old began his long tenure at the late Donald “Ginger” McCain ’s Upper Aughton Road stables that summer, a partnership that would continue for 23 years. 5. The trainer, like Mrs Brotherton, had long dreamed of winning jump racing’s biggest prize at what was his local racecourse, but even McCain could not have imagined the phenomenal run his new arrival would achieve in the ensuing five years. 6.

He recorded back-to-back victories in 1973 — when he broke Golden Miller’s course record — and 1974 in what was arguably his best season, also landing the Scottish National and narrowly losing out to Red Candle in the Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury. Article continues below... 7. The following two years, he was second to Ireland’s Cheltenham Gold Cup winner L’Escargot and Rag Trade. 8. Rummy’s emotional hat-trick in The Queen’s Silver Jubilee year, this time in the hands of jockey Tommy Stack, made him a household name. 9. Rummy was entered to contest a sixth Grand National in 1978 and worked well in the build-up, but, with the requisite drama that routinely surrounds the race, was declared a non-runner the night before due to lameness. He was subsequently found to have a hairline fracture and never raced again. 10. In retirement, Rummy was as popular as he had been throughout his racing career and seemingly relished the attention from his fans. “Everybody thought the world of him, and the little devil knew it,” said McCain affectionately of his star. 11.

He made numerous public appearances, most memorably walking calmly on stage for the BBC Sports Review of the Year and pricking his ears when he heard the voice of Tommy Stack coming from the big screen. 12. Appropriately, after his death in 1995 at the age of 30, Red Rum was laid to rest in the shadow of the winning post at Aintree, the course he had made his own. Grand National 2016: Many Clouds aims to emulate Red Rum - BBC Sport BBC Sport Grand National 2016: Many Clouds aims to emulate Red Rum By Frank Keogh From the section Horse Racing Share this page Media playback is not supported on this device Many Clouds - the next Red Rum? Crabbie's Grand National 2016 Venue: Aintree Date: Saturday, 9 April, 17:15 BST BBC coverage: Commentary and updates on Radio 5 live; live text commentary, pinstickers' guide, sweepstake kit on BBC Sport website Last year's winner Many Clouds will bid to emulate Red Rum by winning back-to-back runnings as 39 horses line up for the Grand National on Saturday.

Jockey Leighton Aspell, also successful in 2014 on Pineau De Re, is seeking a historic third consecutive victory in the famous race over 30 fences. The field was reduced on Saturday when O'Faolains Boy, trained by Rebecca Curtis, was found to be lame. Coverage of the £1m race is expected to be followed by 600m people worldwide. Media playback is not supported on this device How to win the Grand National Bookmakers say more than £150m will be wagered on the race. Two-time winner Ruby Walsh, who was set to ride Sir Des Champs, was ruled out with a fractured wrist after falling twice on Friday. The Aintree showpiece - run over nearly four and a half miles - has been put back an hour to 17:15 BST, avoiding a clash with the afternoon's football fixtures, in an effort to increase audience figures.

Latest odds 8-1 Many Clouds; 12-1 The Last Samuri; 14-1 Shutthefrontdoor 16-1 Holywell, Silviniaco Conti, The Druids Nephew, Saint Are, Gallant Oscar, 20-1 Gooonyella; Morning Assembly 25-1 Bar(Approximate prices as of 11:30 BST, Saturday 9 April) History in the making? Contenders have to negotiate obstacles such as Becher's Brook and The Chair, and no horse has won back-to-back runnings since triple-winner Red Rum in the 1970s. But Aspell believes Many Clouds, rated 8-1 favourite on Friday, can defy top weight for trainer Oliver Sherwood. "I think he's the worthy favourite. I would choose Many Clouds for his experience and class. He's possibly still improving," said Aspell, 39. However, the jockey did concede that Silviniaco Conti, a seven-time winner of Grade One races at the highest level, had the capability to "make a mockery" of his 16-1 odds.

Red Rum in the Grand National 1973 Who are the other leading contenders? The Last Samuri won the Grimthorpe Chase at Doncaster in March Punters will keep a keen eye on the weather, with 7mm of rain overnight changing the going at the track to Soft, Good to Soft in places. Any rain would be considered a plus for last year's Midlands National winner Goonyella, while the Jonjo O'Neill pair of Holywell and Shutthefrontdoor would prefer drier conditions. Other leading contenders include The Last Samuri for trainer Kim Bailey, who triumphed 26 years ago with Mr Frisk. Sir Des Champs, the 2013 Cheltenham Gold Cup runner-up trained by Willie Mullins, saw his 40-1 odds halve after Walsh was confirmed as jockey. However, Nina Carberry will deputise for Walsh following his injury. Media playback is not supported on this device Grand National 2016: A brief history of the famous Aintree race A National Velvet moment?

Katie Walsh finished third on Seabass in 2012 Along with Carberry, Ruby's sister Katie is seeking to become the first female rider to win the National. Katie, who achieved a best-placed finish of third in 2012 on Seabass, rides outsider Ballycasey for Mullins having been called up for the ride on Wednesday night. As a child she watched the movie National Velvet, in which Elizabeth Taylor plays a young woman who rides the Grand National winner, but does not overplay her gender. "I don't see myself as a female jockey. I'm just a jockey," said the 32-year-old Irish amateur. "Loads of people say that if I win the National, I would be the first female to do so. I don't see it like that. I just think it would be great to win." Are there safety concerns? The National is famed as a unique test for horse and rider, but draws criticism from opponents, including animal welfare groups. Officials believe modifications to the fences, and other alterations, introduced three years ago have helped improve safety.

Since the changes, there have been no fatal injuries to horses in the National itself, but there were three fatalities over the National fences on the first two days of this year's Aintree meeting. In Thursday's Fox Hunters' Chase, Clonbanan Lad and Marasonnien did not fall, but were pulled up by their jockeys and later collapsed. On Friday, Gullinbursti and Minella Reception were put down after a fall at Becher's Brook in the Grade Three Topham Chase. Share this page Grand National history: Red Rum's first - Channel 4 Racing Home > Preview & Reaction > Grand National history: Red Rums first Grand National history: Red Rum's first 27 Mar 2013 13:50 pm Red Rum won a remarkable three Grand Nationals in all Red Rum won a remarkable three Grand Nationals in all Red Rum defeats brave Crisp for first success of famous hat-trick (1973) Simon Holt , Channel 4 racing commentator, was an eight-year-old schoolboy when he watched spellbound on television as the Ginger McCain-trained Red Rum won the first of his three Nationals .

Here’s his story: “Red Rum won what I still think is one of the most exciting races I’ve ever seen when he wore down Crisp on the run-in in the 1973 Grand National. I had 10p to win on Red Rum. I still don’t know how I picked him out but I did. "That year Crisp had a big weight and ran an absolutely heroic race because he was a short-distance horse, a two, two-and-a-half miler really. And here he was running a four-and-a-half-miler and he put up one of the most spectacular rounds of jumping that’s ever been seen in the Grand National. “But after the final fence and a very long run to the finish his stamina finally ebbed away and he was wobbling and wandering. He was a drunken horse and Red Rum was relentlessly picking him up and he got there in the last few strides.

"It was a brilliant race and it was the race that totally inspired me to follow racing and I’ve been very lucky to make a career out if it subsequently.” Crisp's jockey Richard Pitman later recalled that at the famous Becher's Brook fence on the second circuit, fallen jockey David Nicholson shouted at him: "Richard, you're 33 lengths clear, kick on and you'll win!" At the same time, he heard the Tannoy commentator Michael O'Hehir declare: "And Red Rum is coming out of the pack, Brian Fletcher is kicking him hard!" Red Rum became inextricably linked to the Grand National, winning it twice more and finishing as runner-up on two other occasions. A darling of the punters, he was buried beside the winning post after his death in 1995.

Grand National 2014: The story of Red Rum - the three-time winner | The Independent Grand National 2014: The story of Red Rum - the three-time winner How the horse helped reignite the Aintree race Wednesday 2 April 2014 10:46 BST Click to follow The Independent Online Red Rum is probably the most famous racehorse ever not only for exploits on the track but also in contributing to save the most iconic horse race in the world. By the start of the 1970s the Grand National was facing extinction due to disputes over ownership of Aintree racecourse, poor attendances and the general state of the facilities. It wasn’t until the 1980s that the race was significantly revived but without Rummy there might not have been a race to save. Strangely enough the Red Rum racing story began at Aintree where he dead heated in a two year old race over five furlongs ridden by Lester Piggott. His journey to that third win in the National in 1977 took a circuitous route. Donald ‘Ginger’ McCain owned a car showroom in Birkdale, near Southport.

He also worked as a taxi driver and trained a few horses behind the showroom. Obviously there are no gallops in Southport so each morning his horses walked through the town to the extensive miles of beach where they were trained. Noel Le Mare came from the other side of the railway line in Southport and was a client of McCain’s. He asked his friend if he would train him a horse to win the National. McCain paid a massive price for Red Rum in the context of his budget only to discover the horse had a diseased foot. It was the calming seawaters on Southport beach that enabled McCain to prepare the horse for the track. The 1973 Grand National is seen by some as the best renewal in the history of the race. The gallant Crisp, a two mile champion chaser, led for every stride except the last ten. Red Rum was well off the pace jumping the last but overhauled Crisp right on the winning post. Twelve months later Red Rum won the National again. In 1975 and 1976 Red Rum finished second in the race.

On both occasions he was beaten by a horse carrying significantly less weight and it was the handicapper that prevented a third win in those years. McCain never lost faith and always believed his horse would become the first and only three times winner of the great race. Red Rum won his third Grand National in 1977. The race will be remembered for producing just about the most famous piece of televised sport commentary ever. As Red Rum stormed to the line Peter O’Sullevan described the moment with the words: “Its hats off and a tremendous reception, you’ve heard one like it at Liverpool…and Red Rum wins the National!” Red Rum was declared to run the 1978 Grand National but a minor injury meant he missed the race and McCain immediately retired his pride and joy. Red Rum died in 1995 and is buried at the winning post at Aintree the scene of the most wonderful achievement in racing history across the globe and where he is a legend. To read Ian's latest sports betting news, visit Red Rum's five Grand National appearances : Features : Grand National Red Rum's five Grand National appearances Free Bet The legend of Red Rum lives on at Aintree.

Dan Fitch takes a look at Red Rum's five Grand National appearances which saw the horse win the race on three occasions. When you think of the World Cup, images of Pele and Maradona come to mind. Wimbledon evokes memories of McEnroe, while the Masters at Augusta belongs to Jack Nicklaus. Some sporting greats and certain events will be forever entwined and when it comes to the Grand National, no horse is more synonymous with the race than Red Rum. Rummie ran in five Grand Nationals, winning it three times and coming second twice. Join us as we look back at Red Rum's five Grand National appearances. 1973 Red Rum entered the Grand National for the first time in 1973 and though he won the race, it was the second-placed Crisp who had everyone talking the next day. Crisp was an Australian horse and started the 1973 National as the 9-1 joint favourite. This tag looked justified when Crisp was some 20 lengths ahead halfway through the race, but gradually Red Rum managed to gain ground and just managed to pip the tiring Crisp on the line.

Having carried some 24lbs more than Red Rum, Crisp's performance is considered to be one of the greatest of any second-placed runner at the National and it took a course record from Ginger McCain's horse to beat him. 1974 Red Rum would prove that his first National win wasn't a fluke, when he became the first horse to win the race in successive years since Reynoldstown in 1936. Starting as the 11-1 third favourite, Red Rum was racing off a mark two stone heavier than in 1973. Rummie's second win secured a love affair with the general public and just three weeks later, Red Rum was back in the headlines as he won the Scottish Grand National. 1975 Having won the race in the proceeding two years, the big question in 1975 was whether Red Rum could win a third successive Grand National. Rummie could have barely come closer to achieving just that and was leading the race at the last fence, only to be overtaken by the two-time Gold Cup winner L'Escargot.

1976 The year of 1976 saw Red Rum make another valiant attempt to win a third Grand National, only to finish second again. This time it was Rag Trade who got the better of him. Red Rum never gave up and was closing on the back straight, but just couldn't make up enough ground. As is often the way with the British public, these near misses would only strengthen their affection towards Rummie. 1977 Red Rum finally won his third and final Grand National in 1977 as a 12-year old. Ginger McCain had planned Red Rum's whole season in preparation for the race and he wasn't let down on the day. It was ultimately a fairly routine victory, as Red Rum took up the lead soon after Becher's and saw off a challenge from Churchtown Boy to romp home to a rapturous reception. Red Rum was set to try for a fourth win in 1978, only to pull up a day before the race with a hairline fracture. The nation's favourite racehorse and the greatest Grand National winner of all time was forced into retirement.

When he died 17 years later in 1995, Red Rum was buried at the winning post at Aintree. Grand National 2014: horse-by-horse guide to all 40 runners | Sport | The Guardian Grand National 2014 Grand National 2014: horse-by-horse guide to all 40 runners Tidal Bay, trying to be the oldest winner for 90 years, heads the field for the world's most famous race at Aintree on Saturday Friday 4 April 2014 07.47 EDT First published on Friday 4 April 2014 07.47 EDT Close Tidal Bay A top-class steeplechaser and really likable but he's 13, older than any winner since 1923, and he hasn't won over fences since the end of 2012. Despite that, he's got more weight to carry than any National winner in the 40 years since Red Rum's second victory. He's a smasher but hard to fancy for this.

Long Run Beat Denman and Kauto Star to win the Gold Cup but that was three years ago and he's looked regressive. He probably has the stamina for this but, even with the stuffing taken out of the fences, there is potential for his jumping to let him down here and he has a lot of weight to shoulder. Hunt Ball There are good prizes to be won with Hunt Ball but he probably doesn't have the stamina for this and, even judged on the very best of his achievements, he has a lot of weight to carry. Plus he likes fast ground, which he won't get Triolo D'Alene Looked the right sort when winning the Hennessy in November but no Hennessy winner has ever won the National, largely because they get lumbered with so much weight. Triolo has 11-6 and only one National winner in the past 37 years has carried as much. His stamina is doubtful and he had a hard race just three weeks ago when beaten in the Gold Cup. Rocky Creek Was second to Triolo D'Alene in the Hennessy and weighted to beat him this time. He looks the stouter stayer of the two.

You could worry about his lack of experience - he's only had seven runs over fences and his wins over fences have come against small fields. He'll probably run well but must be vulnerable to something with less weight. Quito De La Roque Was a star novice chaser but that was three years ago and he's been regressive. There's quality in there somewhere and perhaps Aintree will spark something inside him but it really needs to. When talent has been buried for this long, it tends to stay buried. Colbert Station Was well fancied for last year's National, when his inexperience let him down and he unseated Tony McCoy at The Chair. He's not much more experienced now and fell last time out, so you could worry that jumping may be an issue again, plus his recent form has been nowhere near as good as it was last year. But he has the talent if things fall right. Walkon Took well to these fences when second in a different race last April. Has a touch of class about him but stamina is a serious concern because, whenever he's tried three miles or further, the petrol has seemed to run out.

Balthazar King Has become a Cheltenham specialist and the suspicion is that he is often helped by the dry, fast going they often get there. For safety reasons, the ground is never allowed to dry out to the same extent at Aintree and that makes life hard for this frontrunner, who faded from Becher's last year and may well do something similar. Wayward Prince You might give him a squeak on the pick of his form but he has repeatedly failed by wide margins in handicaps and this would be the toughest such race that he's encountered. His stamina for this test can't be relied upon either. Mr Moonshine Was pulled up in last year's Grand National , having got tired from the second Canal Turn and the question is why he should do any better this time with an extra 10lb to carry. His two wins this year were over much shorter trips and in much smaller fields. He has yet to show the kind of stamina or toughness needed for this. Teaforthree He might be perfect for the Grand National if they had to do five miles but, as it is, he's a bit on the ploddy side, as we saw when he was left trailing on the run-in last year.

That was still a good run, and he's slightly lower in the weights this time and his form remains good. Granted a bit of luck, he could be the right horse for this, though his odds are really a bit short, considering he's won nothing for two years. Across The Bay Used to win his races from the front but it's very hard to win a National that way, as he found out when fading into 14th last year. Fascinatingly, a change of tactics seemed to work for him when he was held up and then won at Haydock over Christmas. He has some quality about him, so he could be in the mix if his new conservative tactics help him to see out his marathon. Double Seven He took an age to win over fences but then put together a string of successes last summer, building to the Munster National, in which he beat a horse that then won at the Cheltenham Festival. He's still fairly treated, has some class and probably has the stamina for this, so he has a fine chance. Battle Group He's been a great horse for the spring Festivals, twice running well at Cheltenham and winning three different races at the Grand National meeting over the past three years.

This is another step up and he's a stone higher in the weights than he was last year but he may well be in peak form again for his favourite time of year and he can run well. Buckers Bridge A Grade Two winner over fences, so he has some quality and he ran pretty well last time when third to On His Own, the horse that nearly won the Gold Cup. He was beaten a fair way but was giving the winner 5lb. His stamina probably won't stretch this far and he's run poorly on the two occasions when he's been tried in big fields. Lion Na Bearnai Won the Irish National at 33-1 a couple of years ago, which makes him the right sort of horse for this, though he seemed to be found out on a couple of visits to England for tough handicaps last season. His stable was under a cloud for most of that winter, which is a possible excuse. He's still high in the weights, having won a small race at Fairyhouse in February. Probably just lacks the necessary quality but he's shocked us before. Prince De Beauchene Has been strongly fancied for the past two Nationals until being ruled out days beforehand, both times by stress fractures to his hip.

It looks as though he'll be able to take part this time but the question is how much ability he retains because his recent form has been moderate and he's still high in the weights. Do you really believe this horse is about to return to the level he set two years ago? Monbeg Dude Has won three high-value races of this type, handicap chases over marathon trips, and on a variety of ground. This is tougher again but he is equipped to cope in a way that few of his rivals are. He's almost certainly going to be held up, so he'll need a bit of luck with his run through horses on the second circuit but if he gets that, he should get into the argument. Big Shu It's hard to get a grip on how good this horse is because he's never taken part in a conventional steeplechase, his career has been in hunter chases and cross-country races. But his form in two handicaps at the Cheltenham Festival suggests he belongs in this company and he certainly has the stamina, having won over four miles on heavy under 12st 3lb at Punchestown last year.

Burton Port The concern with him is that he missed last season with a tendon injury and hasn't looked the same horse since. But as soon as the weights were fixed for this race, he ran his most encouraging race for years. His weight has tumbled and he's very fairly treated if that last run wasn't just a flash in the pan but it's four years since he last won a race. Wears a tongue tie for the first time. Our Father Built a big reputation on limited signs of promise but has become a serial disappointment with too many obvious limitations to make him attractive for a test like this, even at a big price. He used to go well when fresh but even that didn't hold up this season, when he was a well beaten favourite in the Hennessy. His jumping let him down last time and I don't think he wants to go this far. Untempting. Mountainous He's next to unbeatable on heavy going, as when he won the Welsh National in December. He won't get that here but he will appreciate the extreme stamina test and there should be some give in the ground. But he is on a career high mark and must be vulnerable to anything with a modicum of pace.

The Rainbow Hunter Supposedly unlucky last year when his jockey is said to have been knocked off at the Canal Turn, though the form book says he hit the fence and it's not clear from the video what happened. But his two best bits of form give him a real chance and he seems to have been helped by a wind operation before his last run. I'm not convinced he has the stamina but he would be dangerous if he did. Vintage Star He was a fair sixth in the Welsh National but his two wins over fences have been modest affairs and his overall form doesn't entitle him to get involved in a race as good as this. His stamina is open to question and his jumping let him down last time when he was a faller at the Cheltenham Festival. Chance Du Roy Has twice run well in shorter races over these fences and you have to like that. He won the Becher Chase here in December and there's a chance he might have the stamina for this on that evidence though I don't think he had much left at the finish. He's been well beaten twice since and I suspect we might have seen the best of him for this season.

Hawkes Point Was only beaten a head in the Welsh National by Mountainous, proving his stamina. But quality is another question and there's a risk he'll be left behind if the ground isn't as saturated as it was in Wales. His only success over fences was a novice chase in which he beat three finishers and he had Ruby Walsh aboard to help him that day. Kruzhlinin Four wins from 12 is a fair strike-rate over fences but his wins have been in smallish fields at Kelso and Carlisle, giving him a lot to prove in this company. When he's been tried in better races, at the Cheltenham Festival or in the Great Yorkshire Chase, he has been found wanting. Pineau De Re A fascinating reclamation project, he lost his form for his old stable in Ireland and was sold last summer to an English trainer with a good reputation for reviving horses. Judged on this horse's two most recent starts, he's done a terrific job and it's easy to see this one running a big race, though he did fall when tried over these fences in December.

Golan Way Has shown some of his old spark for a new trainer after a year off the track but even at his peak, he hasn't looked good enough for this and his stamina is questionable for a quality race at this distance. Twirling Magnet He looked useful winning a novice chase at Cheltenham in October but has been shown up a bit in a couple of good handicaps since then. He probably needs a faster surface than he's going to get but his trainer has a tremendous record with staying chasers. Vesper Bell It's probably a mistake for us all to be ignoring a horse from the stable of Willie Mullins but, even at 100-1, I struggle to find this one tempting. His only success over fences was in a beginners chase when he beat three finishers and he's been comfortably held in better quality races. His jumping has let him down twice in his past three starts, including once over these fences. The Package Hasn't won as many races as he should have done but has lots of ability and is the right kind of horse for this. I think his stamina will hold up but he will need luck in running because he will be held up to make late progress through the field.

He has a chance if everything falls right. Wears cheekpieces for the first time. Raz De Maree Won the Munster National and then the Cork National in autumn 2012 and on that form he'd be interesting but he then missed a year through a supposedly minor injury and his form hasn't been the same since. There may be excuses but he would need a lifetime best to figure in the finish and that seems a lot to ask. Wears a visor for the first time. Rose Of The Moon I like his trainer, who gets horses fit, but this one looks right up against it. He's only had two runs over fences since leaving novice company and he won a small race last time but he struggled round here in the Becher in December and it's not clear that he wants this kind of stamina test. His jumping can be a problem, too. Wears cheekpieces for the first time. Shakalakaboomboom Ran a great race two years ago, when he led over the second-last but then ran out of puff. He'd done too much too soon, attacked the course with too much verve. Had he raced more conservatively, he might have won.

He's 9lb lower this time but the worry is that he missed 21 months with a leg injury and has not looked the same horse since. Even if he was as good as ever, his stamina may give out like the last time. An interesting outsider for each-way purposes. Wears cheekpieces for the first time. Alvarado Won a long-distance handicap at Cheltenham in November, form that gives him half a chance. He often makes mistakes and has even refused a couple of times, which is off-putting, and he might be the kind of horse that peaks each autumn. Not wildly tempting but the trainer and the jockey are the type to win this race. Last Time D'Albain It's more than two years since his only win over fences, over a distance two miles short of this race, at a time when he was rated two stone lower than he is now. You can make some sort of case for him, because he was third in a shorter race over these fences last spring, but I don't think his stamina can hold up. One In A Milan This will be just his seventh start over fences and his only win was in a novice race early last year against two rivals.

Still, he's been third in a Midlands National and fourth in a Welsh National, so he has stamina. He probably lacks the necessary quality, though, and he might get left behind if there isn't much rain in the build-up. Wears a visor for the first time. Swing Bill Has had a couple of stabs at this and not been good enough. Now he's 13 and likely to be slower than ever. Would be a most surprising winner. Many Clouds can emulate Red Rum at the Grand National, says Leighton Aspell Many Clouds can emulate Red Rum at the Grand National, says Leighton Aspell Leighton Aspell rides Many Clouds past the winning post in the 2015 Grand National Credit: Rex Features Marcus Armytage , Racing Correspondent 2 April 2016 • 4:13pm Leighton Aspell and Many Clouds already have their names indelibly etched in Crabbies Grand National history having won 12 months ago . But a second consecutive victory at Aintree on Saturday would elevate the pair to legendary status in the world’s greatest race.

Aspell, 39, who also won it in 2014 on Pineau De Re , would become the first jockey to win three Nationals in succession, no small feat given the race was first run in 1839, while Many Clouds would be the first horse to win back-to-back Nationals since Red Rum in 1974 and only the eighth horse to win more than one National. A fourth winner for Trevor Hemmings would make him the most successful National owner ever. Watch | Onboard a Grand National winner 01:14 Schooling on Thursday morning in Lambourn, the big, athletic chaser winged six fences under Aspell, who has ridden him in all 24 starts and remains the only man ever to have ridden the horse over a jump. The nine-year-old exuded athleticism, power and accuracy. Many Clouds and trainer Oliver Sherwood pose at the end of 2015 Credit: Rex Features “He doesn’t need the practice,” explained the nine-year-old’s trainer Oliver Sherwood. “We do it because he enjoys it.” The horse does nothing to contradict either statement.

Red Rum apart dual winners, while common in the race’s early history, have been non-existent since the War. Red Rums do not grow on trees and while previous winners often come back and run placed the following year, few have ever looked like winning it again; they have always found something better handicapped, younger, faster or luckier to beat them. Many Clouds wins from Saint Are in 2015 Credit: Rex Features And, while no one is comparing Many Clouds with the greatest National winner of all time yet, there is a growing confidence among punters, at any rate, that he has what it takes to double up. Those who work with him, however, would never be so presumptuous and, remembering Aldaniti over-jumping at the first a year after his fairy-tale victory, Sherwood is cautionary about the record of previous winners even completing. If he is confident about anything it is that he has the horse in good shape going into the race. But there is no denying Lady Luck, who still plays her part, has taken a shine to his jockey when he pitches up at Aintree these days. But even he will have no idea whether the love affair remains on or is off until Saturday.

Many Clouds jumps in the lead in 2015 Credit: Getty Images Aspell’s own connection with Aintree was very nearly instant. His first National ride, Supreme Glory, finished second to Monty’s Pass in 2003. His record was a bit indifferent after that, unseated off a couple and falling spectacularly from Ballycassidy in 2006 before, in July 2007, he quit the saddle and went to work as an assistant for John Dunlop. Retirement lasted 18 months before he was lured back by the camaraderie of the weighing room and you can tell by his eyes that the man his colleagues have nicknamed "Lash" is not so much enjoying his second coming as a jockey, he is loving it. Watch | Grand National winners - where are they now? 02:27 Sherwood, who encouraged the comeback, installed him as first jockey and has enjoyed something of a resurgence himself. Aspell, now very much a senior jockey, is in demand and is riding more winners than ever.

Yet, despite the record books showing he is the man with the golden touch Aspell is wise enough to take nothing for granted even at the pasteurised, softened-up modern version of Aintree. “On the day it’s just fallen right for me,” he explained modestly. “I had a trouble-free route two years in a row – it’s nothing more than that.” Another thing in Many Clouds favour, he feels, is the fact that the horse was still on the up last year and not, like many National winners, already in the twilight zone. Leighton Aspell wins on Pineau de Re in 2014 Credit: Rex Features “I think he’s a better horse than before,” he pointed out. “He’s mentally in the right place and is definitely coming into the race in better form than a year ago when he had given me no sort of feel in the Gold Cup. He’d had a hard winter with the Hennessy and Gold Cup last season so I think there’s more in the tank this time.

I think the National also bottoms out some winners too – a lot don’t ever win another race but that has not been a problem with Many Clouds.” Aspell, who also runs a yard for horses out of training in Sussex, describes his National winners as chalk and cheese. “Pineau De Re was a small terrier with a big heart. He had to work really hard over those fences. Many Clouds is built for it. He’s the perfect size, he’s nimble, athletic and not slow. He has a very fast brain and fast feet. If something happens he can skip round it.” The jockey would like to ride a similar race to last year. “Get a good start, in the first dozen over the first on the middle-inner and I’d like him to be in his comfort zone in the early part and follow the leaders on the second circuit. “I know he stays but I won’t be going too soon. Last year The Druids Nephew fell five out and left me in front. As soon as he was in front he pricked his ears and the race slowed up for a couple of furlongs while he filled his lungs up.

Paddy Brennan and AP [McCoy] were happy to use me as a lead horse but I was still leading them at the line.”

Question: How many Grand Nationals did Red Rum run in
Answer: Five